Umpire Counsel Sues Baseball League

Thursday, January 4th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) â€” Richie Phillips, whose union was forced out by umpires last year, sued commissioner Bud Selig, several other baseball officials and three of the umps who ousted him.

Phillips, who as general counsel of the Major League Umpires Association represented umpires from 1978 through last year, alleged baseball officials and the three umpires illegally interfered with his relationship with the old union.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, accused the defendants of libel and slander, saying organizers of the new union ``communicated and published to fellow MLUA members various false, misleading and malicious statements disparaging the ability, professionalism, and integrity of Phillips.''

Phillips said Selig chose to have umpires put under the authority of the commissioner's office rather than league presidents ``for the purpose of interfering with and injuring the contractual, business and attorney-client relationship between (the umpires and Phillips.)''

The suit said Selig's decision was motivated by ``the commissioner's personal animus and dislike of Phillips, Phillips' open support of another candidate for the commissioner's office and to weaken the MLUA and the various rights and privileges it had obtained on behalf of major league umpires.''

Twenty-two umpires lost their jobs as the result of a failed mass resignation attempted by Phillips and the MLUA. Arbitrator Alan Symonette is expected to rule later this year on a grievance by the MLUA attempting to regain their jobs.

Among those sued were Sandy Alderson and Rob Manfred, executive vice presidents in the commissioner's office; Frank Coonelly, a vice president in the commissioner's office; umpires Joe Brinkman, John Hirschbeck and Tim Welke, who organized the new union; and Ron Shapiro, a lawyer who advised umpires opposed to Phillips.

Selig declined comment.

``I think this is the latest in Mr. Phillips' long line in unsuccessful attempt to litigate his way out of his own blunders,'' Manfred said.

Said Shapiro: ``I can't comment on the lawsuit, but it's obvious Richie hasn't read our book, `The Power of Nice.' ''

According to the suit, the MLUA agreed on Feb. 20, 1999, to pay Phillips' law firm a $80,000 annually plus 2 1/2 percent of the total money paid to umpires each year in a new labor contract.